|
August in Focus: Events Worth A Closer Look
August is packed with meaningful moments to bring into your classroom! From recognizing the selfless work of aid workers around the globe on World Humanitarian Day (8/19) to honoring the fight for gender equality on Women's Equality Day (8/26), this month offers rich opportunities for reflection and discussion. We're also diving into Water Quality Month, exploring how students can become stewards of one of our planet's most precious resources, and embracing Simplify Your Life Week as a chance to get organized both physically and mentally. Below, you'll find a collection of resources for each event to help spark curiosity, conversation, and action in your classroom.
|
|
August is Water Quality Month! Explore this recently updated professional article, 'Water, Water Everywhere,' packed with books, videos, and hands-on activities to teach students about clean water access and the UN's global water quality goals.
Find books, lesson stems, and activities »
|
|
 |
|
It's Simplify Your Life Week! AI productivity tools can help lighten your load by automating lesson planning, organizing grading, and streamlining communication. Discover how a little tech can free up more time for what matters most: your students.
Simply your life and save some time with this collection »
|
|
|
|
Celebrate World Humanitarian Day with 'Pioneering Women,' a resource collection featuring trailblazers like Rosa Parks and Mary McLeod Bethune—many of whom championed humanitarian causes—perfect for teaching students about courage, service, and impact.
Introduce your students to pioneering women »
|
|
 |
|
For Women's Equality Day, discover 'Women as Changemakers,' an article about Malala Yousafzai, Greta Thunberg, and other trailblazers, complete with book picks and hands-on lesson activities to engage your students in learning about women's equality.
Find ideas to teach your students about women's equality »
|
|
This Week at TeachersFirst
Our Summer OK2Ask sessions continue this week, and you do not want to miss either of these virtual workshops! We have a new weekly poll, and make sure you check out our new Reading Trek related to water quality, along with a timely blog post. Read the details below!
 |
Tuesday, 8/4, 6 PM ET
Learn how to save time with MagicSchool AI, a suite of free tools designed around real teacher workflows: lesson planning, differentiation, feedback generation, communication drafting, and more.
Register now »
|
 |
Wednesday, 8/5, 6 PM ET
This session blends the proven practices of Zwiers and Crawford's Academic Conversations with Resnick's Accountable Talk® framework to help participants understand why structured talk matters and how to design talk stem activities that work.
Register now »
|
 |
Reading Trek
Bring Water Quality Month to life with this Reading Trek for A Long Walk to Water. Students can follow the story's real-world settings in Sudan with an interactive map, KMZ file, and downloadable guide with lesson activities and connections to standards.
Check out this brand new Reading Trek »
|
 |
Infusing Technology Blog
Simplify classroom tech chaos! This blog post shares practical norms, transition routines, and reflection tools—like the Single-Task Rule and Digital Shred—to help students build healthy tech habits that boost focus instead of fragmenting it.
Encourage healthy tech habits »
|
 |
Share your thoughts with our community
This week, our poll asks, "What do you think is the biggest water quality issue your students should learn about?" Once you click submit, you can view the responses of other educators.
Reply here »
|
More to Explore at TeachersFirst
These six additional areas offer a variety of activity ideas for your lessons.
Brought to You by TeachersFirst
Connect with us
X | Facebook
Editorial
Contact the editor
About TeachersFirst
TeachersFirst is a collection of curated, classroom-ready content and ideas — including teacher-authored
reviews of thousands of web resources. Built-in guidance from seasoned professionals makes effective classroom
technology use trouble-free. TeachersFirst is made available free to K12 teachers by The Source for
Learning, Inc., a nonprofit that has been providing educational resources for more than 40 years.
|
|
|
|
